Apparatus for raising natural oils and other liquids by gaseous pressure



N. F. BROWN Oct. 10, 1933.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING NATURAL OILS AND OTHER LIQUIDS B'f GASEOUS PRESSURE Filed oct. 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. l0, 1933. N F, BROWN 1,930,412

APPARATUS FOR RAISING NATURAL OILS AND OTHER LIQUIDS BY GASEOUS PRESSURE Filed Oct. 26. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v Norman F'. Brown YM w15 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR RAISING' NATURAL OILS lsINIgEOTHER LIQUIDS BY GASEOUS PRES- Norman Fraser Brown, Hamilton, Scotland, as-

signor to The Indo-Burma Petroleum Company Limited, Rangoon,

Burma, a British company Application October 26, 1932, Serial No. 639,709, and in Great Britain June 18, 1932 6 Claims. (Cl. 10S-234) This invention relates primarily to the raising of oil from oil wells vby gaseous pressure and will be hereinafter described with reference thereto, but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to raising liquids in general.

According to the present invention all the compressed gas employed for displacing the oil contents of the pump chamber or collector at the bottom of the well is used expansionally to complete the raising of the charge.

For this purpose a control valve is provided which will admit gas to the pump chamberat predetermined periods, shut oi the inlet port at an appropriate point of the oil-raising operation, e. g. at any point before the slug of oil reaches the surface, hold the falling pressure in the well tubing until substantially all the slippage spray is blown into the collector, and then reduce the pressure of the gas in the tubing to that of the atmosphere or other predetermined value greater or less than atmospheric so as to permit the o il in the well to ow into the pump chamber or collector.

Apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the general arrangement of an oil-raising plant embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation showing one construction of a control valve according to the invention; and Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation of a pilot valve associated with the control valve.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A represents the well casing which is closed at the bottom by a shoe A' and has perforations A2 for the passage of oil into the casing. At or near the bottom of the casing is a valve chamber or collector B the bottom of which is hermetically closed by a plate B' having an aperture for a thimble B2 into which is screwed a nipple B3 into which in turn is screwed a valve tube B4 having at its upper end a seat B5 for a foot valve B6 (herein shown as a ball valve) which controls the ow of oil, according to pressure conditions, from the interior of the well casing A into the collecting chamber B. The valve seat and valve are enclosed within and protected by a perforated cap B7 which is screwed on the top of the valve tube B4.

Screwed into the contracted upper end of thecollector B is a tube C which passes upwardly within the Well casing A to and through a cap A3 at the upper end thereof, the connections between tube, cap and well casing being fluid-tight. The tube C is connected to the outlet C' from the casing D of the control valve hereinafter described, the inlet D to said casing being connected to a source of high pressure gas and a second outlet D2 from said casing communicating with a low pressure gas collecting system.

The oil delivery pipe E, which passes upwardly from the bottom of the oil collector B within the tube C to an oil and gas separator F', is closed at its lower end except for perforations E in its wall near that end, and its lower end rests on the bottom plate B of the collector. To provide additional security against damage or displacement of the foot valve and its seat in lowering the pipe E into the valve chamber or collector, a sloping shelf A4 is secured to the wall of the collector B and extends over the cap B'I of the valve tube so as to deflect the pipe E from contact with the valve vcap and tube.

As shown in the drawings, the foot valve B and its seating B5 are positioned a short distance 75 above the bottom plate B of the collector and the apertures E' in the pipe E so as to ensure that any mud or sand which enters the chamber B will pass into the oil discharge pipe Without reaching the valve, thereby keeping the latter free from grit.

Associated with the control valve D is an electromagnetically operated pilot valve indicated at G, the operation of which is controlled by a timing apparatus oi any suitable known character which determines the periods of energizing and deenergizing the electromagnet-and, as a result, determines the admission and cut-on` of pressure iuid to the plunger cylinder oi the control valve and hence to the tube C which supplies the pressure fluid to the interior of the collector B.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, H is an electromagnet which is periodically energized by a suitable timing apparatus, not shown in the drawings. The armature H' of the electromag- 95 net is mounted on one arm of a bellcrank lever H2, the other arm of which carries the spindle H3 of a double pilot valve. Upon the armature being energized, the valve l-I4 is opened to permit pressure huid from the supply 'pipe H5 to 10o pass through the duct H6 to the control valve. the exhaust port of the pilot valve being simultaneously closed by the valve H7.

The control valve D, shown in detail in Figure 2, comprises a pair of coaxial cylinders D3 and D4, the former being of larger diameter than the latter and connected to the duct H6 of the pilot valve, a chamber D5 communicating with the cylinder D4, and a second chamlcerDs separated trom the chamber D5 by a partition D". 110

The partitionD'I has a port concentric with the cylinders D3 and D4, which port has a valve seat directed toward the chamber D6. The inlet D of the casing D communicates with the chamber D5, and the outlets C' and D2 of said casing communicate with the chamber D5. A plunge" er I, which works in the cylinder D3, a plunger I2, which works in the cylinder D4, and a valve I', which controls the port in the ,partition D" and is preferably of the mushroom type, are carried by a single piston rod or stem. The chamber D*s has a port which is concentric with the port in the partition D" and communicates with the outlet D2 of the casing D. Said port has a valve seat directed toward the chamber D8 and controlled by a lvalve I4, which also is preferably of the mushroom type. A spring I3 urges the valve I4 away from its seat.

The pressure fluid passes from the duct H6, to the cylinder D3 and, by pressure on the plunger I', opens the valve I' to permit the passage of high pressure gas from the inlet D to the outlet C' leading to the tube C. The opening movement of the valve I is resisted by the pressure of the gas in the chamber D5 on the plunger I3 and the spring I3 which normally holds the exhaust valve I4 open and in abutment with the valve I. The arrangement is such therefore that when, by the operation of the pilot valve, high pressure gas is admitted through the duct H- to the cylinder D3, the inlet valve I' is opened and the exhaust valve I4 is closed against the action of its spring I3- When the energizing current of the pilot valve electromagnet H is cut olf by the time controller,

the pilot valve, by the closure of the valve H4, cuts o the supply of gas to the cylinder D3 and simultaneously opens the exhaust valve H", thereby reducing the pressure above the plunger I of the control valve to that of the atmosphere.

The valve I' is thus immediately closed by the pressure exerted by the gas in the chamber D5 on the plunger I2, but the exhaust valve I* still remains on its seaty under pressure of the gas in the well and chamber D6, until this pressure decreases to such a value as to be overcome by the spring I3.

It becomes possible therefore by thisY valvular device, while initiating the oil-raising operation by means of gas on full supply pressure, to eeot the continuance and completion of the oil-raising operation by the expansional use of lthe gas which has been admitted to the well tubing between the mechanically timed opening and closing of the valve I'.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that when the energizing circuit of the electromagnet pilot valve G is opened and then closed by the operation of the timing appara- 'A tus, a quantity of high pressure gas will flow through the inlet D' and outlet C' of the valvel casing D to the well tubing, the supply of such gas being cut off when the exhaust of the pilot valve is opened. While the valve I' of the controlling valve D is open, the raising of the charge of oil will be effected byrgas at full supply pressure and, when said valve is closed, the gas which has been admitted to the well tubing C operates expansively to hold the valve I4 closed against its spring I3 to complete the raising of the charge or slug of oil or the like, after which the valve I4 is opened by its spring I3 to permit the escape of gas remaining in the tube C and collecting chamber B and to permit the collecting Ghember B to be filled again with oil for the next oil-raising operation.

As shown in Fig. l, a pipe J may extend between the upper portion of the well casing and the low pressure gas collecting system with which the outlet D2 of the casing D is also usually connected.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying it into practical effect, I claimz- 4 1. In an apparatus for raising liquids from wells including a collecting chamber for insertion in a well and having a non-return inlet valve, a gas tube leading to the upper portion of said chamber for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, and a delivery pipe extending from the lower portion of said chamber for delivery of liquid therefrom, means for intermittently admitting a quantity of gas under pressure to the gas tube, holding such pressure while it acts expansively to expel liquid from the collecting chamber through the delivery pipe and then relieving such pressure, said means comprising a valve casing, a partition dividing said casing into two chambers and provided with a port, one of said chambers having an inlet for admission of gas under pressure and the other of said chambers having a pair of outlets, one connected to the gas tube and the other for relief of gas pressure from the gas tube and the collecting chamber, a valve controlling the port 4in said partition, means for periodically opening said valve, a second valve controlling said pressure relieving outlet, both of said valves being movable, when unseated, into the second-named chamber and means normally holding the sec` ond-named valve in open position but permitting said valve to close when the gas pressure in the second-named chamber drops below a predetermined degree.

2. Means according to claim 1 for intermittently admitting a quantity oi gas under pressure to the gas tube, holding such pressure while it acts expansively to expel liquid from the collect- .y ing chamber through the delivery pipe and then 12b relieving such pressure, wherein the opening movement of the valve which controls the pressure relieving outlet of the second chamber moves the valve which controls the port in the partition between the two chambers into closed position.

3. Means according to claim 1 for intermittently admitting a quantity of gas under pressure to the gas tube, holding such pressure while it acts expansively to expel liquid from the collecting chamber through the delivery pipe and then relieving such pressure, wherein a cylinder substantially coaxial with the port in the partltion between the two chambers communicates with the first-named chamber, the valve which 13E controls said port has a stem, and a piston carried by said stem and working in said cylinder is subject to the gas pressure in the rst named chamber for assisting in moving said valver to its seat.

4. Means according to claim 1 for intermittently admitting a quantity of gas under pressure to the gas tube, holding such pressure while it acts expansively to expel liquid from the collecting chamber through the delivery pipe and then relieving such pressure, wherein the means normally holding the second-named valve in open position comprises a spring.

5. Means according to claim 1 for interrnit- A. tently admitting a quantity of gas under pressure to the gas tube, holding such pressure While it acts expansively to expel liquid from the collecting chamber through the delivery pipe and then relieving such pressure, wherein the valve which controls the port in the partition between the two chambers is of the mushroom type and the means for periodically opening said. valve comprises a pair of cylinders coaxial with one another and with said port, one of which cylinders communicates with the first-mentioned chamu ber, a pair of pistons working, respectively, in said cylinders, a. stem common to both of said pistons and to said valve, and an electricallyoperated valve for periodically admitting uid pressure to the other of said cylinders.

6. An appmatus for raising liquids from wells,

, liquid from pressure.

"NORMAN FRASER BROWN. 

